


Karkat's Character Development Results In Solid Advice

by Little_Gory



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Depression, Hurt and comfort, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-10-22 01:29:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10686969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Gory/pseuds/Little_Gory
Summary: Dave Strider is fighting a bout of depression after things start to calm down. Karkat quickly notices something is wrong, and hunts his boyfriend down to do what he can to help. Since he's not the complete asshole he was at the start of Homestuck anymore, he might actually help a little...





	Karkat's Character Development Results In Solid Advice

**Author's Note:**

> Short Drabble  
> It's been a while since I read Homestuck, so there might be some Out of Character -ness. I also did not include a lot of scenery descriptions in case of canon divergence, which would be unavoidable with how little I remember of what went down. 
> 
> Trigger Warning for a severe depressive episode - I tried to accurately represent what depression feels like when everything "should" be okay. (To my experiences, anyway. Everyone feels depression differently - and that's okay!)

It was one of those mornings where everything felt wrong. Sunlight filtered in through the blinds, birds chirped, and a soft breeze brought the fragrance of spring through the cracked window. The cluttered bedroom was warm. Dave felt like he was choking. He could hardly bring himself to enjoy the irony. It was a beautiful day outside, a perfect day to go flying around in his PJs and live it up. But all he could do was stare at the ceiling through a film of… depression? How could he be depressed after they had _won?_

“Get it together, man.” He told himself. But his voice sounded hollow and distant.  
Ugh why did the ceiling look so familiar, but feel so wrong.  
It was like he was home again.  
No. He _was_ home.  
This was home now.  
“What even is home, man? Some nebulous, indefinable concept invented by the human race. Well guess what, the human race is fucking dead- _hrk_.” Did he just sob? What the fuck.  
“Oh my god fucking damnit what is going on with me today?” He groaned and covered his face with his hands. Not staring at the ceiling helped a little. But now he was more aware of the sounds coming from outside: All peace and wonder. Every adorable bird chirp was like a stab, like they were all singing _you could be as happy as us but you’re fucking depressed like the scrub you are_. Somewhere far away a whistle blew sharply. A soccer game, probably. He could totally be doing that right now, but he was lying in bed feeling sorry for himself. And in some sick Mobius twist he felt like doing nothing other than that. So fucked up.

Somewhere downstairs a door opened and slammed. The change in air pressure pushed Dave’s door open an inch and a soft blast of spring air invaded his palace of sulk. A moment later, heavy feet stomped through the house. It _thump thump thumped_ in a steady rhythm and grew louder and nearer until it stopped just outside Dave’s room. “I’m coming the fuck in so if you’re naked then cover yourself or your decency will be compromised at no bulgescratching pleasure of mine!” Karkat’s gravelly voice shouted. 

Dave said nothing. He didn’t even move.

Karkat’s messy head of hair and nubby horns poked into the room first, followed by his thin, wiry body. He slouched with his hands in his pockets, a perpetual grouchy crease on his gray-skinned brow. He looked everywhere in the room before glancing at the bed. He clearly was not expecting the Knight of Time to be lazing about on this perfectly beautiful morning.

“Howdy.” Dave muttered, trying to salvage the situation with whatever irony he could muster.

“What the actual shitdicking fuck are you doing?” Karkat growled. 

“Praising the Lord of Bros, obviously. They need our worship, Kark, or else our Brohood will be destroyed in Their wrath.” 

“Shut the fuck up. But actually don’t and tell me why you look so fucking pathetic. And don’t you dare try to tell me anything but the truth. I am not some naïvepanned wriggler when it comes to Humans anymore, that time is dead like our enemies. Now ‘fess up or I swear to Jegus I will call your sister and-“

“Oh fuck no, not _Rose_!” Dave groaned. A slight prick of panic at the thought of Rose traveling all the way here to psychoanalyze him roused him a little. 

Karkat sat on the edge of his bed and folded his hands on his lap. His eyes were trained on Dave’s. He was not going anywhere any time soon, the stubborn git.

Dave groaned again, long and loud, and covered his eyes with his forearms. “Alright, fine. The truth is, I feel like shit. Not that there’s any real reason to feel like shit, I-“

“There fucking absolutely IS a reason to feel like shit, you literal mountain of assquenching _stupid_.” Karkat cut him off. “You listen to me right the fuck now. I don’t know what exactly is on your pan, but we went through some seriously fucked up shit, if you even have the capacity to remember. So what if it’s been a year. Even when it’s been ten years we’ll still be fucked up by it. Like, it might be over now, but _you_ are not. You’re still going, and that means you’re still gonna be hurting. And if anyone ever tells you that it’s not okay, I swear I will kick their face in so fast they’ll shit it out. _That includes you_ , Dave. It is okay. Now get your sorry ass out of bed, we are going to get some ice cream and feel sorry for ourselves outside where it’s less depressing.” He reached out a clawed hand.

Dave peeked a single red eye from his meagre hiding place and stared at Karkat. He was maybe a little taken aback from the sicknasty wisdom that just shot out of his boyfriend’s mouth. He accepted Karkat’s hand, but pulled instead of allowing himself to be helped up. 

Karkat yelped a little as he was pulled into Dave’s arms. Then let out a pleased little rumble like the snugglebug he pathologically pretended not to be.

Dave sat up with a little difficulty without releasing the troll in his arms. “Alright, you convinced me. But it’s only because you’re cute when you’re lecturing.” His voice still sounded small and emotionless, but having Karkat with him made him feel a little bit motivated to do something else for a while.

“Liar,” Karkat grumbled against Dave’s chest, “I am the most persuasive person you know, and my adorabloodthirstiness has almost nothing to do with it.”

“Hmph. Right. You mentioned ice cream?”

Being outside felt surreal. It was too bright, and yet dimmed by the cloud of depression in Dave's mind. But maybe it was helping. A little.

A Salamander ice cream vendor had a little stall set up down the street. They blubbed happily at Dave and Karkat’s approach and started to frantically gesture at their premium ice cream flavours. After Dave and Karkat made their selections the little Salamander shoved their cones at them with trembling, slightly slimy hands. They almost didn’t accept payment, but could not say no to Karkat’s tip of ten more Boonbucks than the ice cream was worth. 

Afterwards, the couple walked through the little village square to the park. Dave clung tight to Karkat’s hand, and pressed maybe a little too close so he could feel the calming rumble in Karkat’s chest. The contact made him feel grounded, a little less like he was being swept away by a sea of sad. 

There was a soccer game being played by Chess Guys in the park. The monochrome pattern of their carapaces and the ball stuck out starkly against the green grass. Dave and Karkat sat on a hill to watch. Dave still felt wrong, but he could at least admit there was maybe a smidge more rightness in the mix now. “Righteous.” He murmured wistfully and completely involuntarily.

“What?” Karkat growled.

“Nothing. No words here. Just sulking in my ice cream. In the beautiful sunny day.” 

Karkat laughed a short, rough _heh_. “That’s okay.”


End file.
